Ethiopian Injera – 100% Teff flatbread. Vegan Glutenfree Recipe

And we have an Injera! Injera is a yeast-risen flatbread with a unique, slightly spongy texture. It is a national dish in Ethiopia and Eritrea. It usually should be made with all Teff flour or mixed with sorghum or other flours. Injera in the restaurants here contain other flours like sorghum, barley, wheat, self rising flour and so on. The authentic version is fermented over several days to get a sourdough flavor. This is a simpler version, not authentic or traditional. This version is almost instant with a 1 hour rise with the yeast and then cooked. I also tried fermenting the batter over almost 2 days and have the step pictures for both below. There is also a video of the Injera making in action. You can probably skip the yeast and make an instant version with just baking powder. Use a bit more baking powder. Let me know whichever version you try out and what worked best:)This Injera is 100% Teff and has a strong Teff flavor. If you dont like the Teff taste, replace a portion of the Teff flour with Sorghum, wheat or barley. I added a little vinegar and black salt to add a tang. You can omit those if you wish.Personally, I like the day old batter Injera because it developed a bit of a tang. I will also likely experiment with other flours in the next trials so that the taste is closer to the restaurant style Injeras. I have been flip flopping around with a Camera in hand and a chair in the kitchen to help me get through making some food and finally made a few versions of this flatbread. Yes, balance is still somewhat iffy most days. There are several ways to try out. With other flours, with longer fermentation, with no yeast and so on. I will get to more variations in a few days. Till then enjoy this delicious version. 🙂I loaded it with potato tomato curry and rice pilaf for the pictures. 😀 I did not have any Wats, so used whatever food I had in the pictures. Indian curries also go very well with the Injera, so its really a win win.Serve the Injera with Kik Alicha– Ethipoian Split Pea Stew andMissir Wot/Wat-Red lentil stew.For more glutenfree flatbreads, see This GF Naan, and this Quinoa Oat tomato flatbread.

Steps: Instant versionTeff, yeast, sugar and waterWhiskedAn hour laterAdd water, vinegar, salts, baking powder. Whisk and pour on hot greased pan.Almost done.And this is the almost instant version. I should have flipped them and taken a picture too.. the bottom is even more beautiful. I think the Injera is served bottom side up.Steps: longer fermentation. Batter fermented for 1.5 daysGently dispose off most of floating water. Whisk and pour onto hot greased pan. Move the pan to spread the batter.Note the difference in the bubbles on the yeasted batter.Bubbles get concentrated in the center and are less prominent on the upper side.But look at that bottom.

Here is a video of the Injera making.

Rolled up soft Injera.Ethiopian Injera – 100% Teff flat bread. Vegan glutenfree recipeAllergy Information: Dairy, egg, corn, soy, nut, gluten free.Makes 3-4 flatbreadsIngredients: for Instant Injera1/2 cup 100% Teff (I used Bob’s Red Mill)3/4 cup warm water3/4 teaspoon active yeast1/4 teaspoon raw sugar or maple syrup(optional)1/4 teaspoon salta pinch of black salt(kala namak)1 teaspoon vinegar 1/4 teaspoon baking powderIngredients for 1-2 day Injera.1/2 cup Teff flour3/4 cup warm water1/4 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon active yeast1/4 teaspoon baking powder(optional for even more holes)Method:Instant Injera:Whisk 1/2 cup teff flour with 1/2 cup warm water, sugar and yeast.Cover with a towel and let sit for an hour.Add 1/4 cup water, salts, and vinegar and mix well.Sprinkle the baking powder. Whisk and proceed to make the Injera.2 day Injera:Whisk all the ingredients. Cover with a light lid and let the batter sit for 1-2 days.When ready to make the injera, gently remove the dark water on top into a bowlWhisk the batter for evenness and proceed to make the Injera.Cooking:Start up the pan on medium high heat and wait till hot.Drizzle a teaspoon of oil. Spread the oil using a paper napkin to form a thin oil layer on all of the pan.Make a smaller flatbread to begin with. to let the pan heat well and also get a feel for how the batter moves. Pour 2-3 Tablespoons of the batter and make the flatbread.The batter should be a thin pancake batter. Depending on the Teff or flours used, you might need to add more water or flour if the batter is too thin(no holes develop when the flatbread cooks) or too thick(makes flatbread like a pancake). I used a 12 inch large non stick pan.Pour 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the batter on the hot pan.You can either pour the batter in concentric circles or pour all of it and then move the pan to spread it around. See pictures above.Once spread, wait for a few bubbles to appear then cover the pan with a lid to steam the injera for a minute or so.Remove lid and let cook until the center is set and not wet and the edges start to pull away. 3-5 minutes depending on the size.Remove the Injera and let cool. The edges might feel crisp when you take it off heat but will soften once cool.Notes:Use a good non stick thick bottom pan or seasoned cast iron skillet. I have a non stick pan that I use only for pancakes, chickpea omelettes and crepes. No stir fries and other things that require mixing.Spread the oil with a damp paper napkin to cover the entire pan with a thin layer. This helps prevent sticking and hence breaking of any kind of crepes/flatbreads.If the Injera stays gummy and has no holes, there is too much water in the batter.If there are no or less spongyholes, add more baking powder. This Injera is being shared at Ricki’s Wellness weekend, sligtly indulgent Tuesdays, Allergy Free Wednesdays

Comments

Wow! I’ve heard on injera, but this step by step makes it look so much more approachable! I’ve been meaning to try out teff flour, now I have something to make with it! And as always, your photos are fantabulous. I need some of your skillz. xx

How was it? were you able to make the Injera. Just FYI – at http://www.fassica.com, we recently started offering 100% teff Injera, made to order and delivered to your home. Please check out our site and send us comments.

Amazing, Richa! I’ve taken an Ethiopian cooking class but have yet to make injera at home…I confess, it’s just so much easier to buy it by the cheap 10-pack from the restaurant down the street – which we do frequently, and eat it with EVERYTHING. In fact, we just picked some up on Saturday night to eat with some misir watt, then yesterday I ate 2 of the leftover pieces by a) dipping one in spaghetti sauce, and b) smearing the other with nut butter and fig jam, folding, and eating. Matt likes to slather one with peanut butter and honey and roll a whole banana in it. So many ways to eat them! Anyway, thanks for the recipe and helpful video.

I agree. It is much easier to buy them:) we have a bunch of good Ethiopian restaurants in seattle too. ahh pb&j injera sounds like a perfect breakfast/snack! Its the same with making chapatis(Indian flat breads) it is just easier to get them from the store rather than stand in the kitchen rolling 10s of flatbreads:)

i have only heard about this bread on food network and always wondered about it. I would love to make it but dont have teff flour on hand. I am waiting for other versions and some other flours 🙂 looks delicious

Injera only made with teff flour. Traditional is Teff flour and water only (non chlorinated). I mix 1.5c flour, 2 c water in a glass bowl. Cover with paper towel. I set near my wood stove to keep warm and ferment. Should be at least 70 F degree dry heat. Let ferment for about three days. It will smell like very old dirty gym socks. I also use a well seasoned cast iron griddle and no oil to cook. In Ethiopia they are cooked on clay. You may find the first one or two will break apart but keep trying.

Injera is still a mystery to me – there’s not enough Ethiopian restaurants near me. I keep seeing so many people raving about it and so many good recipes, I’m going to have to take things into my own hands and make some injera! All wat recipe pointers gratefully received!

Inspiring stuff, Richa! Injera is one of those things I’ve always wanted to try making, but have been too intimidated to really attempt. I know I’d eat Ethiopian food much more often if I had access to that incredible flat bread. I’m bookmarking your recipe for a day when I feel a bit more brave. Glad to know it’s not impossible in the first place!

I’ve wanted to try making injera…but have been too intimidated! But I love it and since there are exactly ZERO Ethiopian restaurants in Oklahoma, it’s time to get out the teff and give ‘er a go. Thanks, Richa!

Queen of Sheba is the one we went to in OKC. If I remember correctly, there were a few Ethiopian restaurants to choose from when we decided on Queen of Sheba (I’m pretty sure their injera had some wheat in it). We are all vegan in my home and we all love to cook (my first 100% teff flour injera was a flop, which is how I came to this recipe). Ethiopian restaurants are in OK. If you’re in OKC and like the spices toned down, try Queen of Sheba.

I love injera and Ethiopian food so much! Trouble is, Chris doesn’t care for injera (he likes Ethiopian food)- he doesn’t like the sourness of it. That’s my favorite part! And smeared with some hummus and wrapped up with some avocado- let’s just say it doesn’t get much better! I love your tutorial- I need this in my life! 🙂

I tried making injera once a few months ago and it was a disaster. It made me sooooo sad because I can’t find anyplace to buy it here, so making it myself is my only hope. I’ll have to give your recipe a try next time!

There is nothing that I don’t love on that plate of food – I wish I could reach into the screen and nab that whole plate all for myself. I have never tried injera bread, I think I need to after seeing how easy it is to make!

Wow – I have only ever made Injera with wheat and corn flour, leaving it to ferment for four days. I have been thinking about making more tradional injera with teff, but I have never even heard of an instant teff version. thanks for sharing!

There are tons of Ethiopian food, restos, markets here in DC; my first attempt at this recipe did not fare well by comparison. I did the 2-day version; every one of them stuck like crazy to the cast iron skillet. I’ll try again though–next time will be the quick version. I’m determined to master it, for those days when I don’t want to drive to the market to get injera made by an expert, but just want a quick bite!

I love injera too. I follow the longer time version, letting the teff be coddled by the water and the amazing bacteria it attracts. No yeast for me, and it turns out great with 24-36 hours soaking. Love the potato curry you have in the pic.@foodsniffrhttp://deals.foodsniffr.com/

Looks good and kudos for trying it with 100% teff but your instant injera looks more authentic than your fermented version. the bubbles should be prominent and should cover all of the injera. the back side should be smooth. here in ethiopia, the fermentation period is 3 days. if cooked before it’s called aflegna injera, i don’t know how to translate that properly. it just means it’s not ready. and you should change the water every day. when served on a big platter for many people one injera is piled on to another and the top one is served upside down. here, in the city, most families eat individually on ordinary plates, so it’s served rolled up and you pick out the ones u want and u roll them right side up. right side up is really much better because the bubbles hold more stew that way. you should really see the special pan used to bake injera on. it’s made of clay and it’s huge. if you’re interested, I’ll send you pictures of the whole injera making process since it’s made every 3 days at our house. I can also give you some vegan ethiopian recipes and the recipes to spices. you can email me at [email protected]. i’m moving to ithaca for cornell university in a few months and would love to see how you can experiment with the recipes and see what’s what’s easy to make there.

Hi! I’m so happy I found your page. I was trying a vegan recipe from a book and I think there is a typo. It asked for 2 cups water for 3/4 cup flour. I tried it out, but each time it came out half uncooked. Thanks for posting this!

That looks lovely. I make my own injera at home as well, I usually make it a little sour and leave the mix for three days to let it ferment. I would love to know how to make pasta with teff. Have you even done that as well?

Awesome! so glad you like it! some of the older posts dont have the print button. I keep updating the old recipes to add it when i get time 🙂 . till then you can copy the text part of the recipe into word or notepad and click print from there.

I’ve made this twice now, one with ethiopian and once with thai – it’s a lovely, versitile flatbread which my whole family love! I made the instant and it is so quick and effective. And I only need to think of it 1 hour in advance. Love it! Does it taste that much better if you leave it for a day?

Hi Richa, I am from Mumbai, India and hv never tried Injera. But I love Appams or hoppers and this seems somewhat like them. I don’t know if I can find Teff in Mumbai, and don’t want to use what. Can I use rice flour or any other flour u think instead? Thanks for the lovely site. I really enjoy it! Cheers Shilpy

It is really REALLY important to use Teff FLOUR- NOT Teff grain for making the Injera. I love the Teff pudding made from the Teff grain, but I accidentally tried to use Teff grain for the Injera and it was a disaster!!!

Its probably the pan. Once you use a non stick pan for regular food, it doesnt work well with crepes. You want to use a good non stick pan that you use only for crepes and pancakes. or seasoned cast iron pan